US military says it shot down an Iranian drone in Arabian Sea

"The United States military says it shot down an Iranian drone that approached a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, amid continued efforts by regional powers to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. In a statement on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said a US fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board."

"The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C from the Lincoln, which CENTCOM said was sailing about 800km (500 miles) from Iran's southern coast. CENTCOM said the drone aggressively approached the aircraft carrier with unclear intent and it continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters. There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities on the incident."

A US F-35C from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone in the Arabian Sea after the drone aggressively approached the carrier with unclear intent. The carrier was sailing about 800km (500 miles) from Iran's southern coast when the aircraft engaged the drone in self-defense to protect the ship and personnel. US forces employed de-escalatory measures before the shootdown, but the drone continued toward the vessel. There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities. The incident occurred amid diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed his foreign minister to pursue negotiations under suitable, non-threatening conditions.

Read at www.aljazeera.com